Spark plug cleaning devices

ABSTRACT

In a spark plug cleaning device to remove carbon, sulphur, oxides, oil and other deposits from spark plug electrodes an electric motor drives an impeller which imparts mechanical energy to abrasive particles which are directionally controlled to impinge against the electrodes of the spark plug.

United States Patent Beaver et al. 1 Dec. 5, 1972 [s41 SPARK PLUG CLEANING DEVICES 859,863 7/1901 Young et al. .....s1/9

[72] Inventors; Bud K. Buyer, 1040 Alameda 1,226,621 5/1917 Giellnd ..$1/9 Blvd Coronado Calif 1 l A. l Hanson .-5 David Zgkgrhn, P O Box 7, 2,277,911 3/1942 Johnson ..51l8 Mar, Calif. 92014 e Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr. [22] Filed. Dec. 21, 1970 Att0mey Cafl R. Brown [21] Appl. No.: 100,225

[57] ABSTRACT U-S. 51/9 In a cleaning device to remove carbon [5 Cln B240 sulphur oxides oil and other deposits spark [58] FIG!!! 01 Search ..,..51/9, 8 electrodes an electric motor drives an impeller which imparts mechanical energy to abrasive particles which [56] Rekrences Cited are directionally controlled to impinge against the UNITED STATES PATENTS electrodes of the spark plug.

391,971 10/1888 House et al ..s1/9 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 0 PATENTEDUEB 5 I972 3 7 04 552 INVENTORS BUD K. BEAVER A. DA V/D ZAKAR/AN z; JW, 6

SPARK PLUG CLEANING DEVICES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION pressors which are costly to install, costly to operate,

and are not readily transportable because of their size and weight. Spark plug cleaning devices which rely on high pressure air as a source of energy are generally impractical for home-workshop applications. This invention properly cleans plugs without using air pressure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Whereas the prior art has relied heavily on compressed air to propel the abrasive particles, the present invention propels the particles mechanically.

An impeller rotates inside a cleaning chamber into which a spark plug is partially inserted. When abrasive particles are introduced into the chamber, the impeller imparts angular acceleration to the particles which are subsequently directed to impinge upon the exposed surfaces of the spark plug to effect an abrasive cleaning action.

The invention will be further apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the entire device with portions exploded and cut away.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation with a front cover plate removed.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout, a power source, preferably an electric motor 1 is mounted in a motor enclosure 2. Secured to the end of the motor shaft 3 by means of a setscrew 4 is an impeller 5 provided with blades which rotates within an impeller housing 6. A plate 7 forms the rear wall of the impeller housing and the front wall of the motor enclosure. Cover plate 8 forms the front wall of the impeller housing and is attached to the impeller housing 6 by means of screws 9. Items 6, 7 and 8 form a cleaning chamber. An orifice 10 in the top of the impeller housing is fitted with a flexible grommet 11, which accommodates spark plugs of various sizes. Another orifice 12 at the bottom of the impeller housing contains a removable filter element. Power to the motor is controlled by switch 13.

For operation of this device the impeller vane tips 15 and the peripheral wall 16 of the impeller housing 6 are retained in close proximity. In our novel device this proximity relationship occurs from point A to point B in the direction of rotation of the impeller. Effectiveness is further augmented because of the proximity of the convex surface of the guide vane 14 and the impeller vane tips 15.

Prior to inserting the spark plug 17, a predetermined amount of abrasive material is poured into the cleaning chamber through the opening in the flexible grommet 11. Then the impeller is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the impeller vanes accelerate both the air molecules and the abrasive particles within the impeller housing in a counterclockwise direction. Centrifugal forces on the particles propel them against the peripheral wall of the impeller housing where they are picked up by the rapidly moving air molecules adjacent to the peripheral wall.

After passing point B, a ramp 18, which forms a part of the impeller housing, causes the air and its entrained abrasive particles to randomly separate from the wall. At their respective points of separation from the wall, the abrasive particles follow lines of tangency to the wall, creating a fan spray of particles directed towards the spark plug electrodes.

A turbulent flow regime occurs after the air and the entrained abrasive particles separate at ramp l8 and a clockwise vortex is created in the expansion chamber 19. The space relationship between the spark plug and the expansion chamber exposes part of the spark plug to the abrasive particles which rotate within the vortex. These abrasive particles also contribute to the cleaning action as they impact the plug. During a cleaning cycle the operator rotates the spark plug on its major axis to ensure that all surfaces are exposed to the abrasive particles in the vortex pattern.

As the particles rebound from the spark plug surfaces, they are impacted by the impeller vanes and propelled into the metering chamber 20. If, prior to the cleaning process, the operator loads the housing with relatively few particles, they pass unhindered through the metering chamber. Under these conditions the rate of particle bombardment on the spark plug is low and the cleaning cycle time is high. If progressively more particles are initially loaded into the housing, the rate of particle entry into the metering chamber increases until the entry rate begins to exceed the exit rate.

This condition represents the minimum particle load to achieve maximum particle bombardment of the spark plug per unit time. If the operator progressively loads the housing with particles in excess of this amount, the excess accumulates in the metering chamber, progressively filling the chamber to levels C, D, and E until the amount of the excess load completely fills the metering chamber. A further increase in particle load causes the housing to choke up and the cleaning process becomes ineffective.

A filter element 21 is provided to purge the housing of foreign materials removed from the spark plug by the cleaning process, while still retaining the abrasive particles within the housing. This purging action increases the number of spark plugs which can be cleaned by a single load of particles.

We claim:

1. An apparatus using abrasive particles for cleaning spark plugs comprising:

an impeller positioned in a housing having a centrally-hubbed body with a plurality of vanes for moving abrasive particles,

a prime mover for rotating the impeller,

said housing having a cleaning chamber wherein the impeller may freely rotate,

said chamber having a peripheral wall disposed in proximate circumferential relationship to the impeller throughout a substantial portion of the arc swept by the impeller vane tips,

3 4 an orifice through the housing for receiving and and said vanes have a generally rectangular cross retaining the electrodes of a spark plug in the section and extend radially from the centrallychamber, hubbed section. a ramp within the cleaning chamber formed by an in- 4. The spark plug cleaning apparatus of claim 1,

ternal wall surface recessed radially away from 5 wherein said prime mover comprises: said vane tips for launching the moving abrasive a high speed electric motor with a drive shaft jourparticles away from the peripheral wall of the nalled in the housing and operatively connected to chamber and directing them toward the electrodes he m0t0 and t0 the impeller. of the spark plug, 5. The spark plug cleaning apparatus of claim a metering chamber is provided in said cleaning wherein:

chamber to control the mass flow rate of said abra- Said ol'lfiee for feeelvlng and l'etammg the Spark P sive particles, in the housing contains a grommet of a resilient and said metering chamber comprising four side material whereby the Spark P is Y g y walls and two open nd f q l area" received and retained and whereby the grommet 2. The spark plug l a i apparatus f l i 1 l5 forms a seal between the spark plug and the orifice h i to prevent the accelerated abrasive particles from said recessed internal wall surface forms an expanexltmg the houslng- I sion chamber disposed in proximate surrounding T Spark P Cleaning apparatus of claim 1, relationship to the spark plug protruding intd said wherem: h b the housing contains a filter for selectively removing 3 The Spark plug cleaning apparatus f claim 1, from said housing the particulate matter separated wherein; from the spark plugs by the impingement of the acthe impeller comprises a balanced body having a celerated abrasive particles on the spark plug.

centrally-hubbed section,

mm l06009 0052 

1. An apparatus using abrasive particles for cleaning spark plugs comprising: an impeller positioned in a housing having a centrally-hubbed body with a plurality of vanes for moving abrasive particles, a prime mover for rotating the impeller, said housing having a cleaning chamber wherein the impeller may freely rotate, said chamber having a peripheral wall disposed in proximate circumferential relationship to the impeller throughout a substantial portion of the arc swept by the impeller vane tips, an orifice through the housing for receiving and retaining the electrodes of a spark plug in the chamber, a ramp within the cleaning chamber formed by an internal wall surface recessed radially away from said vane tips for launching the moving abrasive particles away from the peripheral wall of the chamber and directing them toward the electrodes of the spark plug, a metering chamber is provided in said cleaning chamber to control the mass flow rate of said abrasive particles, and said metering chamber comprising four side walls and two open ends of unequal area.
 2. The spark plug cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein: said recessed internal wall surface forms an expansion chamber disposed in proximate surrounding relationship to the spark plug protruding into said chamber.
 3. The spark plug Cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the impeller comprises a balanced body having a centrally-hubbed section, and said vanes have a generally rectangular cross section and extend radially from the centrally-hubbed section.
 4. The spark plug cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said prime mover comprises: a high speed electric motor with a drive shaft journalled in the housing and operatively connected to the motor and to the impeller.
 5. The spark plug cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said orifice for receiving and retaining the spark plug in the housing contains a grommet of a resilient material whereby the spark plug is yieldingly received and retained and whereby the grommet forms a seal between the spark plug and the orifice to prevent the accelerated abrasive particles from exiting the housing.
 6. The spark plug cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the housing contains a filter for selectively removing from said housing the particulate matter separated from the spark plugs by the impingement of the accelerated abrasive particles on the spark plug. 